Florida?

[teacher]

they're nothing :o they like to come in when it rains...

[hopefulbk]

Palmetto Bug: (noun; palm-ett-oh):

An elegant way of describing a cockroach roughly the size of a wheelbarrow. Said insect lives everywhere in Florida, and eats almost anything. It also flies. Seriously. The term is reputed to have its origins in the early days of Florida history, during one of the many boom-bust cycles of real estate development. When tourists from the northern states would spot one and become terrified, the slick developers would calmly explain: Even though it LOOKS like a cockroach the size of a duck, it is in no way related to the lowly cockroach. It is, in fact, a PALMETTO BUG.

HAHAHA I live in FL too and this made me burst out laughing- of course, everyone turned to see me giggling in my chair. I'm from the north and yes this is a good description of the bug AND how big my eyes got when I first came face to face with one...

[junker]

the good thing about all the bugs,insects, snakes, is that it takes your mind off of the constant humidity there, when you are walking in your yard you dont know if you are sweating because of the humidity, or fear of getting bit by a rattle snake or a nasty bug. the st johns river which is by jacksonville, is so bad they say dont eat the fish caught in it. half the population of two counties septic tanks, eventually end up in it.

[diebroccoli]

Palmetto bugs - check
'squiots - check
Brown Recluse spider that will kill you, or maim you (a la flesh eating virus) if provoked - check
Hurricanes - check
"Love bugs" that absolutely destroy paint jobs on cars once a year - check
Minimal exemptions for BK - check
Fire Ants and now Caribbean Ants - check
Public Works projects that take forrrrrrevvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrr to finish - check

But you know what, year round golf/surfing/anything else outdoors, 300+ days of sun per year, no snow...ever, and easy access to the caribbean all make it worth dealing with

[floridian]

if you spray them, they will go ballistic and fly toward you... then you will probably hurt yourself trying to get away from it.. dont ask me how i know..

if you have ever spent time in the everglades, they have a giant palmetto roach with pinchers on it... they wont bite, but will fly thru your car window at night and land on you...same result... we call them a (gawdallmighty), because thats what you say when they land on your face..

[lookingforward]

The Palmetto bug is also a frequent visitor in Southern Louisiana. During the extreme summer, they all decide they want to live in the house with you!

I always thought the origin of the name came from ladies who didn't want to say that there was a roach in their house, instead they could say that they had a Palmetto bug problem.

In fact, one got in our house (kids left the back door wide open for who knows how long) a few days ago and I was jumping and screaming like a little girl.
They are so big!

[DeadManCrawling]

Palmetto Bug: (noun; palm-ett-oh):

An elegant way of describing a cockroach roughly the size of a wheelbarrow. Said insect lives everywhere in Florida, and eats almost anything. It also flies. Seriously. The term is reputed to have its origins in the early days of Florida history, during one of the many boom-bust cycles of real estate development. When tourists from the northern states would spot one and become terrified, the slick developers would calmly explain: Even though it LOOKS like a cockroach the size of a duck, it is in no way related to the lowly cockroach. It is, in fact, a PALMETTO BUG.

[floridian]

the last stats that i read, was that 1000 people per day move to florida and few are moving back... the place must suck pretty bad!

i wish florida would start a state income tax, like everyone else...

there is no logical reason to give florida residents so much homestead protection.. its just not right..

[kennman]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the blue roofs. A "sea of blue"

I got a question:

Who will make sure the foreclosed homes get the blue tarps in case of a hurricane this season?

Ya think the banks will really care?

Oh, I also forgot about the armadillo. Dooing poorly is spot on, one of the dumber of God' creation.

Don't ya just love Floridas' (generous) exemptions?

Keep it up Charlie (Crist)

Kenman

[hippyguy]

Ahh, no need to be afraid. Honestly, I have never seen a mosquitos bigger than a hummingbird. Those who say they are as big as a bat are exaggerating and if you move to our area, you won't have to worry about the biting red ants as we have a new little ant called the crazy caribbean. These crazys have taken over the red ants territory and are moving into our foreclosed homes. They are lovely little creatures that run around seemingly without any purpose getting into everything you own. Pest control companies don't know how to control them and there is no known chemical that will kill them if they happen to move into your home. Nothing short of a nuclear blast will make these babies move out. As for the spiders, you get used to them, you get used to hurricanes too. In recent years we were ground zero for Frances and Jeanne and had Wilma make a direct hit as well. They were all nice gals to spend time with. Oh and the blue roof that everyone gets after a hurricane is so attractive and great for housing values.

I may have exagerated about the mosquitoes being as large as bats, but the palmetto bugs sure are. The blue roof nation was pretty fun times, I remember sleeping on the hood of my car after my fifteenth day without power, letting the gentle whine of surrounding generators put me to sleep. I don't think I can stomach another Pop tart as long as I live. Good ol WPB

[doingpoorly]

Mosquitos aren't that bad...........use bug spray when you go hiking, like I should have done today.

I've seen 2 bats in my life here, and there aren't that many big ants or biting spiders.

[doingpoorly]

I had thought about moving to Florida, but you guys have me freaked out about mosquitos the size of bats, biting ants and big spiders. Maybe I should stay in my lovely state of California that is going bankrupt. You get used to Earthquakes.

Ahh, no need to be afraid. Honestly, I have never seen a mosquitos bigger than a hummingbird. Those who say they are as big as a bat are exaggerating and if you move to our area, you won't have to worry about the biting red ants as we have a new little ant called the crazy caribbean. These crazys have taken over the red ants territory and are moving into our foreclosed homes. They are lovely little creatures that run around seemingly without any purpose getting into everything you own. Pest control companies don't know how to control them and there is no known chemical that will kill them if they happen to move into your home. Nothing short of a nuclear blast will make these babies move out. As for the spiders, you get used to them, you get used to hurricanes too. In recent years we were ground zero for Frances and Jeanne and had Wilma make a direct hit as well. They were all nice gals to spend time with. Oh and the blue roof that everyone gets after a hurricane is so attractive and great for housing values.

[teacher]

Mosquitos aren't that bad...........use bug spray when you go hiking, like I should have done today.

I've seen 2 bats in my life here, and there aren't that many big ants or biting spiders.

[relief13035]

I had thought about moving to Florida, but you guys have me freaked out about mosquitos the size of bats, biting ants and big spiders. Maybe I should stay in my lovely state of California that is going bankrupt. You get used to Earthquakes.

[teacher]

That blows my mind, that you have to wait that long. It sounds like the process has all but stopped in the middle district. I wonder if South district is just as bad off

yeah, kind of weird, it might have to do with the lawyer and trustee schedules? I don't know.